Sughnen Yongo-Okochi is among the most these women
For many years women from all around Africa made the life-switching ilies, and teams to come to the united states, trying friends reunification, public independence, job opportunities, otherwise studies. Yongo-Okochi, twenty-seven, kept their unique hometown inside the Nigeria 10 years before wanting a better education in the us next wound up building a lifetime right here, searching for her news media profession, having a great son, and obtaining married.
Like other almost every other African female, brand new cutting-edge feminist landscaping regarding the You.S.-compared to the Nigeria-starred a critical character from inside the Yongo-Okochi’s option to migrate and stay in the us.
“The usa intended empowerment to me. They required liberation. It suggested the ability to really feel just who I am at the this new center,” Yongo-Okochi told you. “I’m totally free-saturated and you will artistic plus it reveals within my looks using my brief blonde locks and piercings. ‘”
Yongo-Okochi never consider otherwise behaved according to prevalent cultural and religious factors for the Nigeria. Which made her an enthusiastic outlier certainly their unique relatives plus it is actually exacerbated whenever she got her child.
My mum would constantly say if you have many of these anything, might seem like a great ‘reduce girl
“I got expecting prior to I experienced married which try an excellent big deal back. It absolutely was like, ‘you are shed and you’re a slut and you are an excellent disgrace so you can the family,’” she said. “It actually was merely most exhausting for me psychologically and you can mentally just like the We knew if my men cousin did a similar thing, he wouldn’t experience one to.”